WA rentals out of reach for households on income support, Anglicare report finds

Australia Broadcast Center

29-04-2025

Western Australia's rental crisis has reached new depths, with data from one of the state's charities showing there's not a single property or room that is affordable for people on Jobseeker, Youth Allowance or the Disability Support Pension.
Anglicare WA's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot shows that despite a significant increase in private rentals listed across WA, affordability is languishing with the state's median rent hitting $680 per week, up five per cent from last year and 21 per cent from 2023.
The charity defines an affordable property as one requiring less than 30 per cent of a household's income, and it says rooms across the state are well out of reach for households on income support or the minimum wage.
Anglicare WA chief executive Mark Glasson said the report needed to serve as a wake-up call for governments at all levels to do more, and to have a bold vision to come up with long-term solutions.
Anglicare WA chief executive Mark Glasson says affordability has tanked for those on low incomes.
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ABC News: Blake Kagi
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"What this survey tells us that no other one has, is that there is absolutely nothing across the whole state if you're on Jobseeker, Youth Allowance or the Disability Pension. We have never had that experience before," Mr Glasson said.
"Supply has increased, so there has been a growth in the number of housing that's available … but affordability has tanked.
"We've got havoc, we're there now, we actually need to be bold, and have that vision, we need a vision that says we're going to have so much social and affordable housing.
Photo shows
Gold Coast renters Jazlyn, Melanie and Nahla Misuraca smiling at the camera
These are the nation's worst postcodes for renters, as well as the places hit with the biggest rent hikes since the pandemic.
"We need a broader vision that says everyone is entitled to a house that they can afford, that's fit and safe and sustainable."
A CommSec report this week crowned WA as the nation's best performing economy, but Mr Glasson said countless West Australians aren't seeing any benefit.
"Yes we have a bustling economy that's really kicking ahead of the rest of the country, but the question that I would have to our leaders is 'what is that for if we can't house and feed our people'?" he said.
Priced out
Caitlin Beresford-Ord never imagined she and her family would find herself without a place to rent and reaching out to charities, friends and family members for assistance.
Caitlin and her son Darcy could not afford an extra $190 a week for their rental.
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ABC News: Blake Kagi
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But when faced with a $190 per week increase in her long-term rental in the Perth suburb of East Victoria Park, she was left with little choice.
She has been forced to move into her parents' house, with her 20-year-old son Darcy Stokes staying in a caravan provided by a friend, which is parked in the driveway of the home.
"It's catastrophic, $190 a week, it's huge,"
Ms Beresford-Ord said.
"We stopped private health insurance for quite some time, I had to make all sorts of decisions in order to accommodate that rental hike until we were able to move in here.
"I can no longer afford to rent a place and keep my family together and I regularly work seven days a week."
Darcy Stokes is living in a caravan parked outside his grandparent's house.
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ABC News: Blake Kagi
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Her son is balancing his studies with work at a fast food restaurant and says his biggest fear is never being able to move out and find a place of his own.
"Probably just not being able to move out ever, unless I'm like living with 10 other people or something like that," Mr Stokes said.
Exclusive new data shows skyrocketing rents have outpaced income growth in every regional area in Australia and all but one capital city.
"None of my friends have moved out yet because it's basically impossible at this point anyway."
Mr Glasson said despite so much focus on the cost of living in this year's state and federal election campaigns, the major political parties have failed to come up with long-term solutions to the rental crisis.
"What we're seeing is lots of announcements … which are really welcome, they will put more houses on the ground," he said.
"But we're talking about proportionality here and the scale of growth that's being projected is nowhere near enough.
"The level of social and affordable housing in Western Australia is 3.7 per cent, it's dropped over the last 10 years, we need a bold government that says that's going to get to 6 per cent in this term."
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